Thursday, January 24, 2013

Bright and Buzzy | Giveaway!

Tick tock, tick tock. I have been watching the clock and the calendar, anxiously awaiting the day that I could do the grand unveiling of Bright and Buzzy, one of two of my new collections for Robert Kaufman. And today is finally the day!

I have so many ideas swimming in my head for things to make from the collection. And even though it's perfect for kids, I can see so many uses for it for those who are just young at heart. (See how I artfully skirted calling myself old there? Nicely done if I don't say so myself...)

There are 6 fabrics in the collection and they have all just been released by Robert Kaufman so they should be making their way to stores soon.

Buzzy bees in 3 fun colors. I was so happy to be able to do these in a more non-traditional palette than what you usually see for bees.

Honeycomb in two shades

A full yard panel with one animal or item for each letter in the alphabet.

And a full sized growth chart that goes up to 60" inches high.

On the image above, the yard panel in the corner isn't to scale, I squished it down so it would all fit together in one little graphic.

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Fun honeycomb selvage shapes

Attempted to take a picture of the yard alphabet panel and Fiona came to help.

And then Dexter had to get in on the action. It totally looks like they're making out. Which is really inappropriate blog content but it was just too funny not to share.

Wait...what, is that a whale under that tail? And a raccoon peeking out from behind that foot?

I see all sorts of fussy cut opportunities for this panel.

How adorable would pennant flags be to spell out a kiddo's name?!

This weekend I'm going to be making a zipper pouch with my Z. I can't wait.

A close up of one of the owls from the growth chart panel. You can get an idea of what the whole thing looks like in the graphic at the top of the post. I think the owl on the swing is my favorite. :)

p.s. And if I wasn't already spastically excited about Bright and Buzzy, there's ANOTHER collection to share. I am beyond excited and bouncing off the walls over here with glee. (And I might have had one too many cups of coffee today perhaps...)

I'll do a full post about Holiday Sweet Tweets (and a giveaway) once I get my yardage shipment, but here's a few sneak peek shots. It's also just been released by Robert Kaufman and should be shipping to stores soon. Birds. Peppermint tufted ottomans. Sassy couches and striped chairs. (Insert big dorky happy dance here!)

There are so many fun & different things that could be done with this fabric. It would be fun to make a real simple blanket with just the alphabet - you know one that could be made quickly and used on the couch. I would love to make a honey comb & bees blanket or wall hanging. They are just so cute and adorable. the bees & honey comb would make a really fun table runner or picnic blanket. Let's not forget making a fun simple summer tent for kids to read under. There are just so many fun things to try. sallybradley at gmail dot com

This would be so perfect for my daughter's room - I already have your donkeys in wellies fabric made into a baby quilt. The honey bees would be so perfect for her "big girl" bed. I am completely enamored with the growth chart, too!

Oh goodness, I can't wait to see more of the Holiday Tweets! I love the cardinals. The bee prints are all so adorable too. I have a soft spot for bees because my dad kept bee hives when I was little. Clearly the panel is waiting for fussycutting!

This may be a duplicate but I don't see my entry. Mr. Gwin says he has to have a TV quilt and pillow from this fabric. He raises bees and harvests the honey from them. He insists that I must win. LOL Thanks for this fun giveaway. Very cute fabric.

Wow - the best line yet and I loved the chairs and the donkeys and Brrrr... This is fabulous! Those bees are the bees knees so I would HAVE TO make myself a sun hat for when I do the gardening in my backyard. I grow veg. amycav at hotmail dot com

This line is so amazing! I think it'd be especially awesome to line pouches with - I love using a print that's an unexpected WOW for the inside. Also it'd be great for fun drawstring bags for my girl, she'd get a kick out of all the little sweet designs!

That is an adorable fabric line. I see those fabrics as a cute bedroom set for my niece using some for bunting over the window covering, a growth chart on the wall, and a fussy-cut quilt to match. By the way, your kitties are adorable!!!

My small group in our guild is called the "Queen Bees". This fabric is just perfect to make purses for all 8 of us for Christmas this year. Also would be perfect to make vests to wear to guild meetings and road trips.T. in Kansas

The fabrics are adorable! The alphabet squares would be great for fun, cute and educational kids' items like soft books or quilts. I'd also sneak some of that bee fabric into scrappy quilts for adults -- that would add an element of surprise.

I'm seeing an apron with a potholder, on a table with placemats, and a cute set of napkins to match. Wait...what about a bread basket in the middle of the table with a napkin tucked inside. And some hot pads. Maybe kitchen towel with one of the animals (or two) appliqued on it. Or maybe I'll just go with a quilt. ;)

Oh, this is so exciting! I can see tons of possibilities, but with a baby on the way, that growth chart for the nursery would be the first thing i would make. I have ideas for some type of log cabin quilt with the alphabet tiles in the center of each block. I can't wait to see pictures of your next line, too - those peppermint tufts are killing me!

This collection made me smile so much! I am a hobby beekeeper, so anything 'bees' catches my eye. I would make a blouse or sassy skirt out of the honeycomb or bees. And I would make a matching outfit for my little 8 month old girl. The cute alphabet would make a fun 'card' game or fabric stacking blocks. And I'd wrap the growth chart around a tackboard.

Such great fabric! I think a soft quilted headboard covered with a combination of the panel and some fabric would be perfect for my granddaugher's move to her big bed. P.S. The cardinals in the next collection are perfect!

I love this fabric. I would make something with my husband in mind with the bee and honeycomb fabrics. He is a beekeeper, so placemats or table cover for our patio table might be on the agenda. For the growth chart and alphabet, we have a grand daughter who will be 2 in March, and she has a baby sister due in April, so those would definitely be made up for them. Thanks for the chance to win.

I love all of your fabric - but this collection is even better than the rest - the bees are gorgeous! I would make a wallhanging for a childs room, and some fun bags to give as gifts. Thanks for the chance!

oh, SO many ideas about the bright and buzzy!!! but then i got all distracted by the tweets :) i'm pretty excited about the idea of the zip ouch with the z though... and i think we all know i can't resist a raccoon!

I have a friend who keeps bees and this would make the PERFECT little wall hanging for her little boy (who is not quite 2). I'm thinking a growth chart wall hanging with the ABC's done in a coordinating big boy quilt (he's transitioning from the crib this summer) with the honey comb for sashing. LOVE this fabric.

Both of your new collections are super fun and totally you! I love cardinals and cardinals perched on designer chairs even more. I'll be buying some honeycomb for my yellow stash for sure and I think the bees would make really stylish threadcatchers for our next quilt show boutique. Thanks Laurie, for always being so generous with your readers! Congratulations!

Operation Homefront in is hosting a baby shower in So. Cal. for 100 moms and needs 100 baby quilts, on March 20th. This is for woman that deliver when their husband is off in a war zone and they are in an area w/o family or friends to throw them a shower. So, I'd love to win this and make a baby quilt to be given away at this party.Very cute fabric. BEEutiful!

Wow! Two more great fabric lines - no-one does clever & cute animal fabric like you, in ways that are so grown-up & completely not cutesy in the sweet sense. I think what I'm trying to say is that they're perfect for everybody (no-one can 'put a bird on it' quite like you!). Thanks for the chance to win.

Okay, first of all, Holiday Tweets, how SWEET!! I love it!! And.. the bees, they're just perfect. I have a new project on the horizon that I might need some of the grey bee fabric and yellow honeycomb for.. *swoon*

OK you had me at bees and yellow! My best friends in the world are a couple where he is a beekeeper and she is allergic to bees. She is a quilter and this fabric will bee so perfect for something for them. Pillows? a small table topper or a quilt for their bed. Totally hypoallergenic.

haha my cat always is right there when any fabric is being put on a flat surface too! Love that turquoise and the nice bright green. I don't know what I would make but it would be fun! Thanks for the chance to win!

I'm Holiday Sweet Tweets type:) but these would be perfect for little baby gifts. Probably I won't be original if I write that alphabet panel is great for baby quilt and bees fabrics would be wonderful sashing. Although, the honeycomb fabrics would be perfect for my works for adults - I love the colors of it!

Love this fabric line,,,and the next. I'd be making a new quilt for the grandson,,,pillows for me,,,obviously I would have to buy more to make everything that's spinning around in my head! Thanks for the chance to win.

Wow Laurie! This is a super line ... I'm just out of hospital after some icky surgery and this was my first blog catch up in months! My surname is Witherby so the bee has always been something our family sneaks into things. My niece is getting married in July on the beach (brrr!) and I am down for bunting duty. This would be fantastic for it, the blue and the yellow, so perfectly beachy ... I would love to win this. and well done you for such a lovely line :)

So so cute. I would love to win this fabric. I have twin boys and have been contemplating a growth chart. And the alphabet panel I could see fussy cutting for a soft book with some of the other fabrics included..aaand the honeycomb is for mama. Thanks for the giveaway!

What really cute fabrics. I know exactly what I would make from them. fromt h alphabet panel I would make a quilt and use some of the other prints for the borders & backing for my new great nephew. Now frot he growth panel I would make it up as a quilt and use the otehr fabrics also as backing and borders & binding. I would present the quilt to my great neice's mom. She could hang it up to measure Chloe with and record evertything with a permanent marker and then they could keep it as a memory blanket. Chole is growing so fast they can hardly keep her in pants that are long enough for those skinny lil long legs. If their was any fabric left of the beees and honeycomb I could make her some cute little ruffel legged pants and a top to match.conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

OH MY GOD! I am in love with this collection, the bees and honeycombs are right up my street. I would love to make a paper pierced honeycomb quilt with them! I'd also love to make a dress out of the bee fabric, I think it would love amazing for summer!

Another (2!) unbelievable collections from you!! Congrats on both bees & birds. Love them!! With the buzzy collection, I have in mind to cut out the alphabet blocks and surround them with bees & honeycombs, scattering the alphabet over the front and back of a quilt. The honeycomb fabrics are wonderful - I could use them in TONS on projects! Keep up the great work!! and thanks for the giveaway! mags721 at skybest dot com or allenmg721 at gmail dot com

Oh I just love bees. I would make something for my kitchen with that lovely bee fabric. Trim some cheery yellow dishtowels, do up some little quilty hotpads and make a fridge magnet or two. Sigh. Such lovely bees! jeepgirl19700@yahoo.com

Ohhh! I LOve these, but especially the alphabet panel. I would most DEFINITELY take the panel, and cut a square out of each letter and then mod podge each one onto an artists canvas (from the dollar store) and then mount all 26 on my daughter's bedroom wall...the colours totally work and I think that would fill the wall nicely!michelletripper(at)yahoo(dot)ca

so so cute! I love the pennet flag idea for my niece! and a matching quilt to go with!! You could use the rest for random shaped handmade washcloths - how fun would that be - learning the alphabet in the bath!

LAURIE!!! Shut up, these are so effing darling!!! Oh gosh...well, after I rolled around in them for a good week I would probably make some placemats for my nieces and nephew. And something for myself out of the bees. My gosh, those cute little bees!!! :)

My mind is spinning-I love this line! The bees and honey comb are fantastic! I love the panel as a front or back for a baby quilt. I might have to get 2 of those-one to keep whole and one to cut up. Thanks and congratulations-you're on a roll!

I love this fabric. I have a kids quilt pattern that I have been wanting to make forever. It requires strips of bugs in a line for part of the design. Either of the bees or the birds will be perfect. Thanks for sharing your amazing talents with me. I can't wait to get my hands on this fabric. I also think I need a kitchen redo and bees could be buzzing all around while I cook. Past holders, towels, new curtains, chair cushions and of course a mug rug or two.

I have to say, Bright and Buzzy is a fabulous line. Great work! I would make a growth chart for sure - I know a family with a 4 year old who would love it. The bee prints would go into eyeglass cases. And the Alpabet? I think your idea of zip pouches is perfect.

Absolutely love the alphabet panel and fabrics to match it. With a new grandbaby coming late summer, what a beautiful quilt that I could make for it and then also to include a growth chart to go with it. what a wonderful gift it would be.

You rock! What's not to love about every single collection you come up with? Love the bees... I have a friend who has bees and makes her own honey, so I would just have to make her an oven mitt and dish towels! I did that at Christmas with your llama fabric for my friend who raises llamas and alpacas, and they totally flipped. Thanks for making me so popular with my friends. :-)

Love these collections! I'm expecting so I need to whip out a bunch of baby items. This fabric would be perfect! I would make lots of bibs, burp clothes, and little blankies. Maybe even a set of building blocks.

My good friends just had their second child. I made them a quilt for the first and I need to make a second, that is what I would use this for of course. I would use the honey comb to make placemats for my BFF who keeps bees.

First off, I love your fabrics! I'd probably make my daughter and son a special pillowcase each using their letters from the alphabet panel pieced together with the bee fabrics. I'd also have to figure out something to make my husband's aunt who is a beekeeper! Thanks!

The first thought that popped in my mind was baby quilt. It seems like lots of people are thinking the same thing. The alphabet panel would also be cute made into little pillows spelling out a child's name. So many possibilities.

Laurie I absolutely ADORE your fabric lines. They are so ORIGINAL. I mean where can I get birds, ottomans, and upholstered chairs in one fabric? Love it! I would so LOVE to win. I'm making plans for that alphabet panel cut up and strung on sting with clothes pins on the wall of my daughters room. Darling! Keep up the good work!!

I love this fabric it makes me think of my hometown! I hope that one day my daughter can BEE an Academy Bumblebee (my husband is in the army so it's a wish that we make it back to the area one day). I would make my daughter a cute ruffle butt sun suit or make myself a market tote! Thanks for the chance to win!!mrs(dot)hbraun(at)gmail(dot)com

Love these! I absolutely need to make a baby quilt out of the alphabet panel and either a bag or a throw pillow or a set of napkins and placemats out of the green bumblebee fabric for my friend who loves bees and green is her favorite color.

Oh my goodness! I love thesefabrics!! I can totally see some baby stuff...quilts and such and then with the alphabet panel...something for the kiddos...not sure what, but something to help with letter recognition. I love the honeycomb. Thanks for the opportunity! bailjane(at)hotmail(dot)com

I'm thinking a reversible baby quilt with the panels - one side with the growth chart (so that you can measure baby as they grow!) and the other side with the alphabet panel, interspersed with squares from the other fabrics so baby can learn the alphabet while spending tummy time on the quilt!

Wow! I so excited to see these fabrics. We raise honeybees and I'm always looking for bee related fabric to decorate my quilt shop: Sweet Quilt-n-Bee Shoppe! I can foresee some great quilts, hot pads, gift baskets, etc. etc. etc for these fabrics. Thanks for a chance to win!!

Bees and honeycomb! What a welcome and fresh fabric design. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! And I'd love to make a child's quilt with the alphabet panel and a very practical wall hanging with the growth chart. But those bees and honeycombs ... a set of placemats and/or table runner for me!

Ever since I was a little kid, my nickname has been Busy Bee, so you can imagine my joy and excitement at this collection! I am picturing my tiny little one in an adorable spring time maxi dress (and maybe a adorable little zippered "fancy" pen pouch for me!)And the growth chart you have is BEYOND adorable! I could see me getting in lots of use with that, since it matches Abbey's bedroom to a T! I'm going to wish myself luck. :) Have a lovely day sorting through the comments! <3

Adorable fabric! I have a brand new (and first) grandson and these would be wonderful for him. I've been dreaming of ways to invent a play area for him as he grows, including a book center. Fabric always plays a part in my dreams!

The whole collection is bright and fun. I love the growth chart and alphabet panel. They are perfect to make up for a baby shower. I have a friend who is a bee keeper. I would make a lap quilt for her.

I LOVE the new designs! I would make a quilt for my new grandson with the alphabet panel and little outfits for my granddaughters, who are three, with the bee fabric! ADORABLE! The Sweet Tweets is also wonderful...can't wait!

Oh my goodness, I love Bee fabrics...because my daughter-in-law is a bee-lover so my two grandaughters are Little Bee and Baby Bee. I could easily see: dresses, skirts, an art smock, a purse, a child's quilt...